"I'll be back as soon as possible", he said, bringing his hand to his stomach.
The young prince felt nauseous, all those terrible feelings were too intense for him to bear alone. He had no one to rely on except the servants. If he could, he would swap places with his mother without thinking twice.
Lin Ziyu quickly composed himself, wiping away the tears with the long sleeves of his blue hanfu. He turned to the maids and hardened his expression.
"While I'm out there, she must be well taken care of. If Liu Yunxiao gets hurt, I will show no mercy to any of you", he forced an authoritative tone, fearing that any mistake could lead Liu Yunxiao to death.
The maids quickly bowed, feeling the weight of their young lord's stern gaze. But he wasn't entirely authoritarian; Lin Ziyu was filled with pain, an unbearable pain. Without another word, he turned on his heels and left the room, his footsteps echoing through the dark corridors of the palace.
He didn't stop to admire the flower gardens or take a moment to catch his breath, nor did he pause to contemplate the lanterns lighting up with the arrival of night. His only thought was Wang Lin.
If he didn't help... Then may the gods have mercy.
Lin Ziyu marched straight to the Celestial Star Palace, the place that had once been his home and now belonged to the new crown prince. That majestic palace, built on a privileged rise within the imperial complex, boasted large jade columns and golden roofs that shimmered under the moonlight. When Lin Ziyu had been the crown prince, this place had been his sanctuary. But now, it was only a painful reminder of everything he had lost.
Two guards in gleaming armor were stationed at the main entrance, but when they saw Lin Ziyu approaching, their expressions faltered. Everyone knew who he was. Everyone knew what he could do if he wished.
Lin Ziyu stopped in front of them, his eyes sharp as blades.
"Inform Wang Lin. Tell him his younger brother has come to make a request", he said in a cold tone.
The wind blew strongly, making his clothes flutter, as the weight of his words lingered in the air. The guards exchanged uncertain glances, but still, they were brave enough to cross their spears in front of him, blocking his way.
"Wangzi, you are not permitted to be here", the first guard's voice was firm, but the tension in his posture betrayed a hint of hesitation. His gaze wavered for a moment, as if he was reluctant to oppose him directly. The title of prince was still used out of respect, but it carried a slight fragility, as if his true importance had been left behind, along with what he had lost. It was hollow and not as relevant in the imperial court anymore.
"You should stay in the Palace of Tears", the second guard tightened his grip on the spear's handle, his knuckles turning white. The mere mention of that place made something darken in Lin Ziyu's eyes.
The young Wangzi remained silent for a moment, feeling his fingers tremble slightly by his sides. The anger, once controlled, began to boil inside him.
"And who would dare stop me?" His voice was cold and burned with a dangerous calm. His deep, enigmatic brown eyes gleamed under the lantern light.
The guards swallowed hard. Neither of them was foolish enough to underestimate Lin Ziyu. He might have been forbidden from using his cultivation within the imperial palace, but that didn't mean he couldn't crush them in the blink of an eye.
"These are the emperor's orders. The young prince should know what will happen if he defies the decree..." The first guard's voice faltered slightly at the end.
Lin Ziyu let out a nearly bored sigh, raising his hand.
"I've waited for a hundred years. A hundred years..." His gaze, once full of restraint, became cruel.
Then, he snapped his fingers.
The spears the guards held began to warp, turning into a glowing liquid substance that spilled onto the polished marble floor. The two men widened their eyes in shock, but before they could react, Lin Ziyu exhaled a soft breath. A bluish wind flowed between his pink lips, and in the blink of an eye, a layer of ice formed around the guards' feet, pinning them to the ground.
He walked past them without looking back.
"Remember this the next time you try to stop me", he murmured before disappearing toward the palace.
After a few minutes of walking, Lin Ziyu finally reached the Crown Prince's Residence. The palace had been rebuilt and decorated according to Wang Lin's tastes, but still, Lin Ziyu could feel the presence of his former self in that place. The gardens were bathed in the soft light of hanging lanterns, and at the center, near a crystal-clear lake full of lotus flowers, Wang Lin sat, plucking his zither.
The golden strings of the instrument vibrated with a delicate melody, and each note echoed in the night air with an almost melancholic weight. Wang Lin had always been a master of music, and his compositions were passed down by renowned musicians who sought to reproduce his brilliance. Lin Ziyu approached, but the crown prince didn't lift his eyes. He continued playing, his fingers gliding across the zither strings with flawless precision.
"It's been a while..." Wang Lin's voice was low, almost casual, but Lin Ziyu noticed the peculiar gleam in his eyes when he saw him there.
"I don't have time for formalities, Wang Lin", Lin Ziyu cut straight to the point, impatience evident in his tone. "I need the immortality pill. My mother won't survive without it."
Wang Lin abruptly stopped playing. The silence between them grew heavy, as if the air around them had become too dense to breathe.
"You know that's not possible", Wang Lin finally spoke, his expression still impassive, but his eyes held a deeper, more mysterious intent.
Lin Ziyu frowned.
"You have that power. I know you do. Don't give me excuses, Wang Lin. If you want, you can save my mother right now."
The crown prince remained silent for a long time, staring at the surface of the lake as if he were seeking answers to something he himself was reluctant to say.
"Even if I wanted to help you, there are things beyond my control" he said softly, but there was a bitter weight in his gaze. "If I go against the emperor now, it won't just be my position that's at risk. You know what the empress would do if I make even the smallest mistake."
Lin Ziyu narrowed his eyes.
"So you'd rather bow your head and let her die?"
Wang Lin finally looked him in the eyes, and for a moment, a fierce emotion flashed in his gaze.
"Do you think I wouldn't do anything if I could?" His voice grew rougher this time, tinged with a frustration he usually hid so well. "Do you think I don't lie awake at night thinking about everything that was taken from you? You want to fight against this empire? Then fight, A-Yu! But don't fool yourself into thinking you can win this alone. If I act recklessly, I'll be the next one to fall."
Lin Ziyu tasted bitterness in his mouth. He hated this. Hated hearing excuses. Hated the impotence, the fear rooted in everyone around him.
"Then tell me, Tai Zi Wang Lin... What do you really want?" He asked, frowning even more. Tai Zi, the title that had once granted him the right to the throne, now felt extremely heavy in his mouth, a tragic reminder of his fall from grace.
The crown prince held his gaze for a long moment before letting out a deep sigh.
"I want to survive."
Lin Ziyu let out a hollow laugh.
"Survival was never enough for me", he mocked, curling a sarcastic smile on his lips. "It seems coming here was truly useless, doesn't it?"
He turned to leave, but before he could, he cast one last glance at Wang Lin.
"If my mother dies, there will be nothing left to bind me to this land. What happens next... won't be my problem", his voice was stiff, with a bitterness he couldn't keep hidden.
The cold night wind gently blew through the garden, making the lotus flowers sway slightly on the surface of the lake. Wang Lin remained silent, his gaze fixed on the dark water, but the tension in his shoulders showed that Lin Ziyu's words had affected him.
Lin Ziyu was about to turn and leave when a sudden sound broke the tranquility of the night.
"Gongzi! Gongzi!"
A female voice, choked and filled with desperation, echoed through the courtyard.
He turned sharply and saw one of his mother's maids running toward him. Her expression was devastated, tears flowing uncontrollably down her cheeks. Her body trembled so much that, when she got close, she stumbled and fell just a few steps from Lin Ziyu's feet.
"Gongzi..." Her voice broke as she spoke the title. In the Palace of Tears, no one referred to him as "Yunlan's Light" or "Crown Prince" anymore. Only the title of young master or Wangzi was still used by those who, out of respect or fear, dared not address him any other way.
She grabbed the hem of Lin Ziyu's hanfu with trembling fingers, clutching the fabric as if it was the only thing holding her up. Her tear-filled eyes met his, desperate, pleading, consumed by sorrow.
"Forgive me..." The maid sobbed violently. "I... I'm so sorry...
Lin Ziyu felt his heart sink in his chest. The air around him seemed to grow too heavy to breathe.
"What is it?" He asked, concern evident in his gaze.
The maid swallowed hard, and her throat closed up from uncontrollable sobbing. Then, with a faint voice, she finally uttered the words he could never accept.
"Concubine Liu... She... has passed away!"
Lin Ziyu's world stopped.
His whole body froze, unable to move, unable to even comprehend the reality of what he had just heard. His gaze remained fixed on the maid in front of him, hoping she would correct her words, that she would say it was all a mistake.
"No..." He murmured, immediately denying. "It can't be true, I left her for only a few minutes."
But the maid just cried harder, shaking her head in denial.
A cold shiver ran down Lin Ziyu's spine. His breath quickened, and his heart pounded inside his chest as though it was about to explode. He slowly turned to Wang Lin. The crown prince said nothing. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes... his eyes were filled with guilt. Anger surged like a wildfire in Lin Ziyu's chest, burning everything in its path. But before any words could escape his lips, his body reacted before his mind could even give an order.
He ran.
His heart pounded in his ears as his feet moved at an impossible speed, as if time had ceased to exist. The path to his mother's chambers seemed endless, yet at the same time, every step seemed to take him too quickly to the destination he never wanted to reach. No matter how hard he tried to quicken his pace, something seemed to latch onto his feet and hold him in place.
When he finally arrived, time seemed to slow down. The door was open, and the maids around the bed stepped away as soon as they saw him enter. Some of them were quietly crying, but Lin Ziyu couldn't hear anything except the overwhelming silence that dominated the room.
There, lying on the white silk bed, was Liu Yunxiao.
Her face, once full of life and tenderness, now looked as pale as porcelain. Her long black hair was spread across the pillow, and her lips had lost all color. Her chest no longer rose and fell with breath. She seemed to be merely sleeping. Lin Ziyu took a step forward. Then another. His knees gave way halfway, and he fell to his knees beside the bed, his eyes wide and his hands trembling.
"Mom...?"
No response.
He reached out and touched her hand. Cold.
A painful sound escaped his throat, something between a sob and a muffled scream.
"No... no... no...", His voice broke the silence, and his whole body trembled. "This can't be happening... You promised you'd be okay!"
He squeezed his fingers around his mother's hand, as if holding it tightly enough could pull her back to life.
"Mom, please... tell me this is just a cruel joke..." Desperation laced his voice, suffocating him.
But the only response he received was silence. And then, as if something inside him had completely broken, a scream tore through the air.
"MOOOOOM!"
The pain, raw and uncontrollable, overflowed from his chest, and he couldn't hold back anymore. He cried like he had never cried before, each tear carrying the weight of his entire existence. That night, Lin Ziyu stayed beside his mother's body until the sun rose on the horizon. He held her in his arms, refusing to let her go, refusing to accept the cruel reality that had been thrust upon him.
A son had just lost his mother.
And nothing, no one, could ever fill him again.
To be continued...